National conservatives came up short Tuesday in Mississippi and Oklahoma. Maybe the Republican base just isn't as angry as they thought.

Tuesday's Republican primaries were the Tea Party's last chance. And the Tea Party struck out.

In Mississippi, challenger Chris McDaniel failed to dethrone six-term incumbent Senator Thad Cochran in the second round of their hard-fought contest. In Oklahoma, Representative James Lankford won by a massive margin over conservative favorite T.W. Shannon. The Tea Party industrial complexgroups like the Tea Party Patriots and FreedomWorks, figures like Sarah Palin and Ted Cruzinvested heavily in both races and came up short. Now both of these red states will almost assuredly send Republican senators to Washington who owe the national Tea Party nothing, and quite likely wish it ill.

Wasn't the Tea Party supposed to have come roaring back after then-House Majority Leader Eric Cantor lost his Virginia primary a couple of weeks ago? Conservatives hoped Cantor's toppling was a sign that there was more pent-up anti-incumbent sentiment than previously thought. But at this point, Cantor seems more an aberration than a portent. Part of the reason no one saw his defeat coming was that it cut so starkly against this trend.

~snip~

If there's any segment of the GOP that ought to have egg on its face, it's national Tea Party groups and figureheads. Dave Brat, the obscure college professor who took out Cantor, won largely without the help of these groups. Meanwhile, when they were the most heavily involved, in races that should have been favorable to them, they couldn't close the deal. The organizations claiming to speak for the Tea Party nationally do not appear to be plugged into the real grassroots or have the ability to mobilize effectively in support of the candidates they favor.

The Tea Party, however you view their composition or aims, is the first new viable political force in how long?

Democrats/leftists have been essentially unchanged since at least FDR and probably since Wilson. Not only are they bereft of ideas, they are determined to enforce their failed ones at the point of a sword.

They are whistling past the graveyard when it comes to the end of statism even as it crumbles around them.

Shannon was a fake Tea Partier who ran against another fake Tea Partier who had Establishment backing. The real conservative, Brogdon, didn’t have a chance because he’s white and didn’t have any endorsements.

12
posted on 06/25/2014 11:06:53 AM PDT
by demshateGod
(The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.)

Painful as it is to say so, there is obviously some truth to the notion that America's "grassroots" are not especially conservative--or angry at what is happening to the country. After all, they elected Obama, and they want more "stuff," just as the Mississippi voter said. The country is going downhill; a few conservative victories here and there are unlikely to reverse the trend.

Oh, and what's today's really big news? Marriage/family as we have known them are now done for. The federal courts have so ruled. And nobody much even noticed.

Thud could not have won a fair fight (closed primary). Open primaries....absentee ballots....fraudulent voter rolls...all these work against conservative candidates because conservatives play by the rules and our opponents don’t even consider the rules, except how to use them against us.

I lived in Iowa for a while: awash with arrogant people who thought I was a stupid hick because I had an Okie accent. Oklahoma is conservative, the most conservative state. There really wasn’t a good clear choice. Had Palin, et el endorsed a true conservative in Brogdon, he would have won. Instead, they went for the window dressing.

20
posted on 06/25/2014 11:13:48 AM PDT
by demshateGod
(The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.)

I need to get out of the business of predicting elections. I predicted McDaniel would win this one. Conventional wisdom is when an incumbent is below 50% in the polls, that is a sure danger sign. Further, McDaniel did finish ahead of Cochran in the primary a few weeks ago and Cochran on the campaign trail appeared old, tired, out of date, out of touch, and prone to many gaffes.

I never would have predicted Cantor was going to lose his race. And he did. So what were the differences between Cantor and Cochran? I think Cantor was taken by surprise. His opponent was underfunded and largely unknown, but he did benefit from a low voter turnout and lots of free air time on conservative talk radio. The Cochran campaign, on the other hand, received the wake up call in the first go-around, mobilized and capitalized on the state’s open voting system which permits voters of any party to participate in the primary, there was a huge turnout in MS compared to VA. The TP seems to do best acting like an ambush predator, stalking unsuspecting politicians (like Cantor) and running below the radar screen.

While it was understood that Graham would raise and spend a lot of money, I’d have thought that Palmetto State GOP voters were finally sick of him undercutting the conservative agenda and kissing butt with Democrats. As it was, that race wasn’t even remotely close.

Someone needs to tell this clown that the Tea Party did come roaring back. And after our comeback, the GOPe recruited Democrats to stop us. That’s the only way they could stop us. They would have had their butts kicked if it were just Republicans, McDaniel easily won the nomination among Republicans.

Wait ... what? The Tea Party "blew it" because the GOPe sided with the Democrats and barely squeaked a victory over a Tea Party candidate? In what universe does that logic make sense? Stupidity runs rampant at The Atlantic today.

31
posted on 06/25/2014 11:27:49 AM PDT
by so_real
( "The Congress of the United States recommends and approves the Holy Bible for use in all schools.")

Graham had six opponents and opposition to him was never unified and none of the opponents seemed very strong. Further, and more importantly, Graham anticipated a tough primary and was never taken off guard and campaigned aggressively. Ditto with McConnell.

I can understand why the TP tried to unseat Cochran. TC has been in Washington for too many years and is the poster boy for politicians who loose their sense of representing the folks back home.

The Oklahoma situation is a bit more bothersome to me. The fellow who won did actually have a strong conservative records, and why did the TP challenge him so vigorously? I do think T. Shannon looks like a great candidate. but perhaps a different race in a 2-4 years would be a better fit?

I lived in Iowa for a while: awash with arrogant people who thought I was a stupid hick because I had an Okie accent.

That's interesting, because in California, some consider the Iowa accent to be rustic. And Californians who head east will find some areas awash with arrogant, geographically-challenged folks who think that California consists solely of West Hollywood, San Francisco, Berkeley and Huntington Beach.

There was a time, some decades back, when the Atlantic Monthly was a respected journal. The bias of this writer, however, bespeaks a far lower journalistic bar.

The "Tea Party" has various manifestations, none of which is comparable to a political party. The tea partiers do not seek patronage, or jobs in Government. The movement represents patriotic & conscientious citizens, who realize that the America of the Founders is being lost. Its existence is a reflection of an awakening process. There is no reason to believe that failure to achieve a hoped for result in a particular Primary race--or in Primary races in general--will stop the awakening process.

If Molly wants to see the Tea Party dissipate, she should hope for as many victories for Conservative candidates, as possible. For it is only by reversing the policies that afflict the sensibilities of patriotic, rooted Americans, that they will stop awakening to the deterioration of our heritage.

Its generally agreed that Thad Cochran squeaked out a win in Mississippi last night in part by getting Democrats, especially African Americans, to turn out. Heres a flier that was distributed in heavily black precincts suggesting how he accomplished this:

from article http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/381187/flier-got-thad-cochran-elected-john-fund

46
posted on 06/25/2014 12:11:28 PM PDT
by Ray76
(True change requires true change - A Second Party ...or else it's more of the same...)

We like Lankford and elected him where he should be. Shannon is a good man and has done good in Okla., BUT he should have ran for Congress instead, that is where he is needed, with his very good conservative financial views.

I believe in the TEA PARTY and consider myself a mile RIGHT of them, but they don't always get it right, but they are still alive in Oklahoma.

Yup. There is some mild irritation among those in the FSA who think they’re not getting enough of the swag, but most folks outside of forums like this are just fine with things. They don’t want to hear angry voices and will sign over their birthright without much thought to the demagogue of the week.

If you’re waiting for populist outrage to change things, you’re going to be waiting for a looooong time.

49
posted on 06/25/2014 12:25:00 PM PDT
by RKBA Democrat
(Be a part of the American freedom migration: freestateproject.org)

Disclaimer:
Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual
posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its
management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the
exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.